IO Interactive’s 007 First Light has wowed critics and already reached 3 million sales in its first two weeks of release. But that success has also come with confusion over the future of the series, due to comments made last week by Amazon’s Head of Gaming, Jeff Gattis, who said that sequels will be “done by MGM and, theoretically, by Amazon Game Studios.”
To clarify the situation, IGN spoke with Gattis at Summer Game Fest about what the development and publishing of subsequent James Bond video games could look like.
“First of all, let me set the record straight for you,” said Gattis. “I did not confirm that Amazon Game Studios is publishing the next one. Did not say that. So unfortunately, it got picked up, and once it runs, it runs. No, IO’s been great. They’ve been great partners. In fact, I was over there visiting them in Copenhagen a couple of months ago. The game’s doing great. Let’s let the game breathe and have its day.”
Understandably, the uncertainty over IO’s ability to carry on making the new series it’s established caused a certain amount of worry with fans who would love nothing more than to see the Hitman studio continue its Bond origin story.
“Trust that we’re going to be smart about this,” Gattis reassured players. “I mean, it’s market appetite. As long as we feel there’s a desire for players to have the game, it’s safe to say it’s going to be made.”
To try and get as much confirmation as I was ever likely to in this interview, I once again asked if 007 First Light being on track to turn a healthy profit was as much of a green light as needed to get the next entry into production. Gattis’ answer: “Seems like a sequel should be made.”
It’s by no means a guarantee, but it’s promising news for those, like me, who thoroughly enjoyed IO’s single-player action adventure take on Britain’s most famous spy.
Last week, IO CEO Hakan Abrak told IGN he was “very confident” 007 First Light will be profitable for the studio, despite it being the most expensive game it’s ever made. “There’s some royalty models and whatnot around this, but we are well above our forecasts at this point,” he added. And of course there’s plenty more to come with the game itself, as IO just outlined 007 First Light’s first year of content.
007 First Light took seven years to develop, but potential sequels could be made cheaper and quicker, Abrak added. Abrak said the cost associated with each World of Assassination title came down, and he’d expect the same with future James Bond games.
IGN’s 007 First Light review scored it 9/10. We said: “Demonstrably obsessed with bringing the Bond fantasy to life in a way no one has ever managed before, 007 First Light is the best Bond game I’ve ever played.”
Our 007 First Light Guide has all the Essential Tips and Tricks you need to survive your first assignments, plus 6 Tips for Mastering Stealth so you can stay out of sight. There are plenty of achievements to unlock and collectibles to get your hands on, so check our guide to All Collectible Locations to make sure you don’t miss out. For a helping hand with your missions, head to our in-progress Walkthrough, and our guide to all the Safe Combinations and Keypad Codes.
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.
